The Apple Watch “brings credibility, which may work to Samsung’s benefit,” says IBB Consulting Group’s Jefferson Wang. “Samsung entered a white space, which they had to build up themselves, and it’s a heavy lift to get developers involved and build the ecosystem.”

Samsung loosened the proverbial lid of the jar, but Apple might be the one to open it. If consumers start taking the smartwatch market seriously, Samsung is confident it will benefit as well, even if Apple takes the lead for the time being.

“They’re both going at it in different ways and, as in any new arena, there’s a lot of different ways to do this,” Wang said. “Consumers always want choice between two companies that people like to see go head to head.”